Thecoldest day ever recorded on Earthoccurred onJuly 21, 1983, when temperatures plunged to an astonishing–89.2 degrees Celsius (–128.6°F)atVostok Station, a remote scientific base inAntarctica.
This extreme reading was officially verified by theWorld Meteorological Organization (WMO)and still stands as thelowest natural air temperature ever measured on Earth.
Vostok Station lies deep within East Antarctica on the Antarctic Plateau, far from the ocean’s warming influence. Several factors combine to create record-breaking cold:
High elevation(over 3,400 metres above sea level)
Months of polar darkness, with no sunlight in winter
Dry air and clear skies, allowing heat to escape rapidly
Ice-covered terrain, which reflects solar radiation
These conditions make Vostok one of the most extreme environments humans have ever inhabited—even temporarily.
Despite the harsh climate, the station is vital for research. Scientists there studyancient ice cores, climate history stretching back hundreds of thousands of years, and how technology and humans survive in extreme cold.
Yes—but not officially.
In2010, NASA satellites detected surface temperatures as low as–93.2°C, and some analyses suggest dips near–98°Cin remote Antarctic regions betweenDome ArgusandDome Fuji.
However, the WMO doesnotrecognise satellite readings as official climate records. Onlyground-based instrument measurementsmeet the strict verification standards required for world records.
While Antarctica has no permanent residents, the coldest place where people live year-round isOymyakonin Russia.
In1933, temperatures there dropped to–67.7°C, making everyday life a constant battle against freezing conditions.
Such records are more than curiosities. They help scientists:
UnderstandEarth’s climate system
Studypolar weather patterns
Setbenchmarks for climate research
Test human and technological limits
Even as global temperatures rise, these records remind us thatEarth’s climate operates across an enormous spectrum, from extreme heat to unimaginable cold.
Coldest official air temperature:–89.2°C
Location:Vostok Station, Antarctica
Date:July 21, 1983
Coldest inhabited place:Oymyakon, Russia (–67.7°C)
Coldest continent:Antarctica
Did you know?Scientists can create temperatures nearabsolute zero (–273.15°C)in laboratories—but these artificial conditions don’t count as natural climate records.
